1. Field of the Invention
The subject of the invention relates to an electrical connector for the electrical interconnection of electronic devices having pin sections to the electrical traces on a printed circuit board.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
The need has arisen in the electronics industry for an electrical interconnection system to a stamped printed circuit board where the stamped through holes of the printed circuit board are irregular in shape. In particular, the irregularity of the stamped terminals of the printed circuit board are defined by upper frusto-conical sections opening upwardly and lower frusto-conical sections opening downwardly from the printed circuit board. This irregular shape is due to the stamping dies which form the holes. Earlier attempts have been found to be quite useful for the electrical interconnection of this general nature, but have been found to be inadequate when used with the particular configuration of the stamped through holes of the printed circuit board.
Such an earlier attempt is shown in my European Patent Number 0 135 988 where the electrical connector shows a compliant section which is particularly useful for the interconnection and retention of the electrical connector to drilled through holes of a printed circuit board having a consistent cross-section. However, when this type of electrical connector is used with the stamped through hole having the upper frusto-conical sections opening upwardly, the compliant section can reside within the upper frusto-conical sections, and the compliancy of the terminal can actually act as a camming force, and force the connector away from the upper surface of the printed circuit board. Furthermore, the electrical connector described above has no means of cutting through the side walls of the stamped printed circuit board through holes to produce a uniform through hole. Furthermore, any attempts to use the leading edge of the terminal as a cutting surface is useless as the compliant sections do not track directly behind the leading edge of those terminals.